Sampling and Characterization of Coal Basins as an Alternative Rare-Earth Element Resource

Kay, John P.; Folkedahl, Bruce C.; Nyberg, Carolyn M.; Feole, Ian K.

doi:10.2172/2998459

Home/Archive/DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI · 2998459

Sampling and Characterization of Coal Basins as an Alternative Rare-Earth Element Resource

Kay, John P.·Folkedahl, Bruce C.·Nyberg, Carolyn M.·Feole, Ian K.

View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Conference presentation at TechConnect World Innovation Conference & Expo, Washington, D.C., June 13–15, 2022. The University of North Dakota (UND) through the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) and the Institute for Energy Studies teamed with the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research, Microbeam Technologies Inc., the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS), the North Dakota Geological Survey (NDGS), and the mining industry to execute a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to obtain and characterize samples of U.S. domestic precombustion coal and coal-related materials with a minimum concentration of 300 parts per million (ppm) total rare-earth elements (TREEs) as the material is removed from the ground, with no processing other than drying.

Explore related subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE CORE-CM Critical Minerals Novel Processing Rare Earth Elements REE Extraction Resource Assessment Value Chain Williston Basin

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

Kay, John P., Folkedahl, Bruce C., Nyberg, Carolyn M., Feole, Ian K.. 2022-06-15. Sampling and Characterization of Coal Basins as an Alternative Rare-Earth Element Resource. https://doi.org/10.2172/2998459

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related reports

DOE OSTI2026

Wyoming Trails Carbon Hub (WyoTCH)

The Wyoming Trails Carbon Hub (WyoTCH) project completed a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for a commercial-scale, open-access carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) transport pipeline in Wyoming under U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Award DEFE0032347, funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Carbon Capture Technology Program and administered by the National Energy Technology Laboratory. The project’s approach of designing a multi-source, multi-destination pipeline, rather than a dedicated line serving a single project, would lower the barrier to entry for individual CO 2 projects. The projects would leverage Wyoming's concentrated industrial and power generation CO 2 sources, its existing CO 2 pipeline infrastructure, and its extensive CO 2 storage and utilization capacity. This is the project's final technical report.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

DOE OSTI2026

Engineering-Scale Validation of Novel Algae CO 2 Capture and Bioproducts Technology

The purpose of this project was to advance and scale the algae-based technology Helios-NRG has been developing for capture of CO 2 from the flue gas of coal-burning power plants with conversion of the CO 2 to high-value products. In order to encourage the process becoming commercial and be adoptable, it is essential that the cost of CO 2 be close to net zero or slightly revenue positive. Two methods to achieve this are reducing the cost of operations through efficiencies and selling of products derived from conversion. Helios and the project team partners have accomplished the goals of furthering the technology to be more scalable and substantially lower cost with a defined pathway for commercialization.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

DOE OSTI2026

Innovative Biomonitoring and Remediation of Heavy Metals Using Phytotechnologies at the Savannah River Site (SRS) Coal Combustion Product (CCP) Impoundment Sites

The Savannah River Site (SRS) contains legacy coal combustion product (CCP) impoundments that are impacted by elevated concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides, posing long-term risks to soil health, ecosystem functioning, and environmental sustainability. Traditional environmental monitoring approaches rely primarily on chemical analyses to quantify contaminant concentrations but often provide limited information regarding biological responses or ecosystem recovery. This project addressed these limitations by integrating environmental chemistry, microbial ecology, artificial intelligence (AI), and bioremediation into a comprehensive framework for environmental diagnostics and restoration of contaminated soils. The overarching goal of this collaborative project between Florida A&M University (FAMU) and the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) was to develop innovative biomonitoring and remediation strategies for heavy metal-contaminated CCP impoundment sites at the Savannah River Site. Specifically, the project sought to (i) characterize heavy metal contamination, (ii) determine microbial responses to contamination, (iii) isolate indigenous heavy metal-resistant microorganisms for remediation applications, (iv) develop a microbial ecological health index using machine learning, and (v) optimize fungal-mediated bioremediation using artificial intelligence.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗